17 Ways to Make Money Online in 2020

By: Marie Steffen | November 22, 2019

It’s easy to make money online. However, you can’t always believe every email about a shipment of gold that will turn you into a millionaire. Some opportunities are scams in broken English from a “Nigerian prince.” Other times, online jobs are real opportunities you can use to make money.  


Working from home is more popular than ever, and working with reputable companies and platforms can help you access the best job opportunities.  


In this list of the best online jobs, we’ve defined four categories of opportunities so that you can understand the different responsibilities and income levels of each. Let’s review 17 of the best ways to extra money online.



Make Money Online For Things that Are Fun and Easy

Each day, we spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes online. Rather than giving your time away for free, some work at home jobs can help you to make money while you’re goofing off. 


Swagbucks is one of the best ways you can put cash into your wallet for things you were already doing online. You can get paid for watching videos, playing games or using a search engine.


NerdWallet has named Swagbucks as one of the top ways to earn free gift cards. It’s so popular that more than 20 million users have used it to make money in their free time. Plus, you can get paid whenever you want by simply cashing in your points for gift cards or a PayPal transfer.   


For this category of online jobs, there is no schedule and no commitments and they have the potential to pay well. Here are the top five ways to get paid for things that are fun and easy. 


1. Taking surveys

Online surveys can be an easy way to earn income online. Earnings will vary by survey, and some surveys are specifically seeking demographics of people who are just like you. Rather than going to each survey platform one at a time, Swagbucks Surveys gather surveys into one place. The large volume of available surveys makes it easy to earn. 


2. Watching videos

You may already be spending some of your day binge-watching Netflix or YouTube. If you use Swagbucks TV, you can earn money while you watch. You could get paid $90 to $150 per month just for watching videos. 


3. Playing online games

Rather than playing online games only for fun, you can also play online games as a way to make money. Swagbucks Games doesn’t yet offer CandyCrush, but options include Wheel of Fortune, Super Plinko, Solitaire, Scrabble and more.


4. Go shopping

Everyone has to make purchases, so why no earn some money from that? There are two ways to get paid to go shopping. The first is to become a mystery shopper, which can earn you about $8-$25 per mystery shop, plus purchase reimbursement. An easier way to get paid to shop is to use Swagbucks Shopping. You’ll earn cash back with each purchase, helping money stay in your wallet for things you’re buying anyway. 


5. Play video games 

Apps like Twitch give you the tools to earn money for playing video games. You can earn by collecting subscribers, fans, asking for donations and earning as revenue. Earnings will vary, but some dedicated players have been able to make it their full-time jobs.


Start an Online Side Hustle

About 37 percent of Americans have a side hustle to earn extra cash. These online jobs will probably take more effort than the first category of opportunities where you can get paid for fun online activities. However, side hustles are also not limited to driving for Uber or renting out a spare room on Airbnb. These five online jobs make great side hustles. 


6. Affiliate marketing 

By making referrals, affiliate marketers earn a cut of the sales they generate. When promoting a product or service, your earnings will vary. It can be as simple as monetizing your website to make money blogging, or you could develop your own online business promoting a product. 


7. Social influencer

Even if you have a moderate social media audience, brands may be willing to pay you to post about their products. Joining an influencer marketing platform can connect you with a company’s social media manager so you can start getting paid to post online. 


8. License stock photography

It’s easy to earn money from home by uploading photos to stock photography platforms like Shutterstock. You can get a royalty payment whenever someone uses your photos, and one photographer said it’s not too difficult to earn $200-$500 per month. The more you upload, the more you can earn, which creates an easy passive income stream.


9. Web domain resale

You can also make money by buying and selling website addresses. It can be risky because you don’t know if or when the domains you own will be sold. However, there is the classic example where someone bought google.com for $12 in 2015, and Google paid $12,000 to get it back.


10. Provide expertise

By becoming a certified expert on apps like JustAnswer, you can get paid for your knowledge. This can be especially useful for retirees. The app currently has about 12,000 experts in diverse fields including car mechanics, accountants, veterinarians, dream interpreters, antique appraisers and more. 


11. Podcasting

Podcasts were once a niche media form, but today, so many people are turning to podcasts to engage with topics from sports to science. The industry is seeing massive growth. In just five years, podcast advertising revenues are expected to quadruple. Sponsorships can be $18 to $25 per 1,000 downloads. Your podcast can also feed into your other side hustles such as affiliate marketing or product sales. 


12. Sell Stuff Online

A key advantage of eCommerce is that you can start small with local listings and scale up as you have time or see opportunities. When deciding what to sell, common options include vintage products, secondhand clothes, handmade crafts, new products that showcase your designs, or product resale. There are several platforms to choose from. You can set up your own online store using Shopify. You can also build a storefront on eBay, Etsy, Society 6 or Big Cartel. You can even list items on Craigslist or in a local Facebook group.


Freelancing and the Gig Economy

There are so many different jobs available to gig workers. Plus, there’s a wide selection of apps that can connect you to potential jobs. Popular apps for freelancers include Upwork, Fiverr, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and Taskrabbit. Because there is flexibility in these opportunities that allows you to take projects randomly or make it into a part-time job. Below are popular work from home jobs you can find. 


13. Data Entry and Transcriptionist 

Work-from-home data-entry jobs usually require typing skills and an internet connection. You can typically work on your own schedule, and earnings can be $10 per hour. Be sure to thoroughly check out opportunities so you avoid data entry scams.


14. Virtual Assistant

If you’re an organized person, becoming a virtual assistant lets you use those skills while working at home. Each job is different, some may require specific hours of availability and others may require certain tech skills such as SEO, graphic design, proofreading, or acting as a customer service representative. 


15. Freelance Writing and Design

You can also be paid for your creativity by becoming a freelance writer or graphic designer. There is a range of companies seeking out independent contractors with writing and design skills. If you’ve already started a blog, then you’ll have some work samples ready to show potential employers.


16. User Testing

Companies want people to help them test out websites and apps. Typically there’s no qualification since they want feedback from regular people. Earnings can be $20 per hour. In addition to the typical freelancing websites, look for opportunities on UserTesting.com.


17. Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is a great choice for online jobs from home. You can help young students learn to read, help middle school students with their homework, teach math to high school students, then eventually create your own course. Look for job opportunities on Tutor.com, Pearson, Kaplan, Chegg, and others. 





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